A Matter of Trust
by AJ Wesley
Summary: Missing scene from "Bloodlust." Sam returns Lenore to her people, but Eli is far from grateful -- especially after he sees Lenore.


A Matter of Trust

A Missing Scene From "Bloodlust"

Sam drove away from the house a little faster than necessary. His stomach twisted in knots at the thought of leaving his brother alone with Gordon, but he had to get Lenore back to her people before sunrise. He would just have to trust Dean's skills.

Beside him on the front seat, Lenore whimpered softly, her arms wrapped around her middle, her legs drawn up against the pain. How much dead man's blood was too much, he wondered.

"Lenore?" Sam called, braking the Impala to a gentle stop. "Lenore, stay with me, okay? I need you to tell me how to find your friends." He chanced a sidelong glance and saw her nod. "I'm at the end of the driveway. Which way?"

"Go—" Her voice cracked, and she struggled to draw enough breath to speak. "Over the bridge…then…left."

Sam paused, feeling a twinge of pity for her. He hadn't believed her, not at first. He wasn't even certain after they'd let him go. But after what happened at the house, there was no question in his mind. These vampires had learned to co-exist. He made a mental note to add a special entry in his journal.

Lenore gasped.

Throwing the car into park, Sam turned in his seat, watching as the vampire convulsed through a painful spasm. Once it had passed, she collapsed back against the seat, breathless. She looked like she was dying…or…she was already dead, right? He wished he knew how to help her. If only—

Wait.

Sam glanced down at his left arm, still oozing blood from the cut Gordon had made, then back up at his charge. "Lenore…would my blood…heal you?"

Her eyes opened then, and she stared at him. "What?"

He knew she had heard. "Would it help you?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Yes," she answered hesitantly.

He shifted, bringing his arm within her reach. "Then—"

"No!" Lenore cut him off, turning her head away.

Sam withdrew as if burned, the anguish in her voice startling him. For a moment, the only sound in the car was Lenore's labored breathing, although Sam could swear he could hear his heart pounding. Finally, he put the car in drive and pulled out onto the road. It wasn't until they reached the bridge that she spoke, her voice much softer this time.

"Sam?"

He didn't answer.

"It is Sam, isn't it?"

He nodded.

"Please understand, Sam…It's not…I _can't_. Not ever." She pushed herself up a little in the seat with some effort. "When those drops hit my face, it was all I could do to—" She paused, drawing a breath. "The risk would be too great. I don't know if I could stop myself…in time."

Her message was clear, and Sam felt himself shudder. "I—I'm sorry.

"Don't be."

Sam drove on in silence, but he could feel her gaze. She was a good vampire, right? So why was he still so freaked out by her? He suddenly felt her fingers comb through the hair at his neck, just below his ear. It took all his self-control not to jerk away from her touch.

"You're not what I expected," she said softly, her hand falling away.

Sam laughed, a nervous cackle. "Me?"

"I know." Lenore gave a small, breathy laugh. "Look who's talking, right? I mean…for a hunter. You're different."

Yeah. How many times had he been told that? "Guess we both learned something today."

"I guess so." Lenore's gaze turned back to the road. "Turn left, just up ahead."

Sam turned onto a dirt road flanked on one side by pasture, the other by trees. Streetlights vanished and the road became dark. _Very_ dark. The headlights pierced the blackness up ahead, but in the rearview mirror it was black as pitch. Somewhere up ahead, Sam saw something move, then he saw what looked like…eyes. Glowing eyes. Three, four, five sets…more. "Uh…Lenore? Your friends, I hope?"

"Yes," she said on a sigh. She sank down in the seat as if in relief. Maybe she really didn't trust him completely, either.

Sam slowed the car to a stop but didn't turn off the engine. Four vampires stepped into the light. One Sam recognized as Eli, two he thought were the ones who had jumped him in his room. The fourth he didn't know. Sam took a breath, blew it out. Moment of truth. He opened the car door and stepped out, keeping the door between himself and Lenore's friends.

Eli sneered the moment he saw Sam. "I knew it! I told Lenore not to trust him. They'll never stop hunting us." He took a threatening step forward, but Sam raised his hands.

"Whoa, Eli. I'm not here to hurt anyone. I just…" He took a step back, then another, working his way around the back of the car to the passenger door. "I have Lenore. She—"

They came at him from all directions, swift and silent. Sam never reached the door handle. He fought them off, but when one fell back, another was there to take his place. Winded, he drew back for another blow, but his wrist was caught from behind and twisted. He turned into it, lifted his left fist and swung. Eli caught his arm mid-swing with overwhelming strength and squeezed. Sam winced, then gave a strangled cry as the pressure increased, driving him to his knees. He felt the cut on his forearm split open again, and Sam knew he was in trouble.

Eli's hateful gaze left Sam for a moment. "Get Lenore," he ordered, jerking his head at the Impala.

Sam heard movement behind him as one of the others obeyed. The car door opened. "Lenore?" he called over his shoulder. "You want to call off your guard dog?" No response. "Lenore?"

A curse, then, "Eli!"

There were some gasps from onlookers, then silence. Eli stalked the few feet from the front fender to the door, dragging Sam with him. Sam fought to stay upright as his knees scraped along the hard-packed dirt of the road. Then Eli froze, and his grip on Sam tightened until Sam thought his bones would snap.

"You sick son-of-a-bitch."

"Eli, I didn't do this. I was bringing her back to you. You have to—" Sam gasped, the pain stealing his breath away. Through clenched teeth, he managed, "Eli, please!"

"Why should I believe you?" The vampire gave him a vicious shake.

"Because it's the truth," Sam cried.

Eli paused, and for a moment, Sam thought he had gotten through. Then he saw the change in the vampire's face, saw his eyes lower to the right where Sam's blood was dripping over Eli's fingers. Eli's eyes slid closed and he inhaled deeply, his mouth curling into a smile of pleasure as if he had just smelled the bouquet of a fine wine. Sam watched in horror as the teeth extended, and realized this time there was no one to save him. Not Lenore. Not Dean.

Dean.

Gordon's words back at the house played through Sam's head. _That filthy fang didn't kill my sister. It turned her. Made her one of them. So I hunted her down, and I killed her myself….It wasn't my sister anymore. It wasn't human. I didn't blink. And neither would you. _

Sam prayed Dean would be spared that task. _Please, God, let them kill me. Don't let them turn me…_

And yet, so soon after losing their father, what would Sam's death do to Dean? He was so close to the edge now; Sam could see in his eyes. He'd never been more frightened for his brother than in that moment after Dean had so brutally killed the vampire at the pier. Dean would be pushed over the edge…like Gordon.

A hand fisted in his hair and hauled him up. Eli yanked Sam's head back, exposing his neck. "I'll rip out your throat, _hunter._" He spat the word like it was vile.

Sam closed his eyes. _I'm sorry, Dean. I'm so sorry._

"Eli, no!"

A new voice, a girl's voice, one Sam hadn't heard before. He froze, his one free arm locked, his hand planted firmly against Eli's shoulder in a vain attempt to hold the vampire at bay. Someone approached, and he felt Eli back off just a bit.

"No turning back, Eli, remember?" she said. There was fear in her voice. "Don't do this. You'll start a frenzy. You'll destroy everything. Everything Lenore taught us, sacrificed for us."

"Look what they did to her!" Eli insisted. "What _he_ did!"

Sam gasped as the hand tightened in his hair, pulling his head back so far he could barely breathe.

"We're better than they are," the girl told him. "We have to be."

"Eli?"

The voice was barely audible, but Sam recognized it all the same. Lenore. Sam opened his eyes. She had pulled herself from the seat and was holding onto the open door. It seemed to be the only thing keeping her on her feet.

A powerful shove sent Sam careening backward into the crowd that had gathered. They caught him, pinning his arms and holding him firmly in place.

"Let him go," she said, accepting Eli's support.

"But he—"

"He saved my life, Eli."

Sam felt the restraining hands fall away even before Eli's gaze settled on him once more. There was still anger and hate in those eyes, but the teeth receded, and he held Lenore protectively close.

"He offered his blood to me."

Sam heard murmurs at that.

"He what?" Eli's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"No one outside the nest has ever done that—for any of us." Lenore pushed upright in Eli's grasp, using him to steady herself. She took the few wavering steps to bring her before Sam, then stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Thank you."

This time Sam felt no urge to pull away from her. He simply smiled.

"And what about the other?" Eli again.

"You need to leave," Sam told him. "All of you. My brother is holding off the other hunter at the house, but you have to get out of here."

"He'll come after us again," Eli confirmed what they were all thinking. "He won't stop until we're all dead."

"I can't promise he won't," Sam said honestly, then reached into his pocket. The tension around him instantly increased. "Easy, guys." He slowly withdrew the notebook and pen, then wrote a number on a blank page. Ripping the page from the book, he told Lenore, "This is my cell phone number. If you need help, call me. I'll come. I promise."

Lenore took the paper, glanced at it, then back up at Sam. "I believe you."

She stood there with him while the others dispersed. All but Eli, who apparently still didn't trust Sam enough to leave him alone with Lenore. She took Sam's hand in hers, gave it a gentle squeeze. "Be safe, Sam."

"You, too."

She stepped away, her hand trailing in his until they were arms' length apart, then she let go. Eli slipped an arm around her and gave Sam one final glance before escorting Lenore to the waiting line of vehicles. Sam shook his head. He supposed no matter what, he would never gain Eli's trust. And truthfully, the feeling was pretty mutual.

Dusting the dirt from the knees of his jeans, Sam closed the passenger door and headed around to the driver's side of the Impala. Before climbing in, he dug around under the seat for the bottle of water that was usually rolling around when they drove. He found it and used the water to clean the blood off his arm. What Dean didn't know wouldn't worry him. Sam located a couple of strips of cloth in the trunk—leftovers from the last time they'd made Molotov cocktails—and used them to bind the cut. He combed his fingers through his hair as he slipped behind the wheel, and watched as the last of the taillights disappeared down the road.

Time to get back.

**oooOOOooo**

The sun was rising when he pulled up in front of the house. Sam took the stairs in one leap, anxiety closing his throat before he opened the door and let relief wash over him at the sight of Gordon tied to a chair and Dean…thank God…Dean standing over him looking about as close to his smug old self as Sam had seen him lately.

Sam carefully schooled his expression as he entered the room. "I miss anything?"

"Ah, nothing much…"

Fin


End file.
